Overview

Recovery Worker – Peer Supporter Lead (HMP Wormwood Scrubs/HMP Brixton) – London

Permanent

£27,000 – £30,000

Are you passionate about recovery, peer support and helping people make positive changes in their lives?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Recovery Worker – Peer Supporter Lead to join our Substance Misuse Service at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

Working as part of an integrated healthcare team, you will play a key role in developing and delivering peer-led support within the prison. You will use a recovery-orientated and trauma-informed approach to help people affected by drug and/or alcohol use engage with treatment, recovery and wider health and wellbeing services.

What you’ll be doing

  • Recruit, train and supervise peer supporters and mentors within the prison.
  • Develop and support peer-led interventions, activities and initiatives.
  • Enable peer supporters and mentors to work effectively across the prison wings.
  • Encourage and motivate service users to take greater responsibility for their health, wellbeing and recovery.
  • Support engagement with substance misuse treatment and recovery pathways.
  • Provide appropriate signposting, information and support to service users.
  • Work closely with substance misuse, healthcare and prison staff to provide joined-up support.
  • Develop strong working relationships with healthcare providers and wider prison services.
  • Support peer supporters to promote recovery, positive wellbeing and engagement amongst their peers.
  • Contribute to service development and the ongoing development of peer support within the prison.
  • Work across key areas of the service, including Early Days in Custody, unscheduled care, planned care, release and resettlement.
  • Help strengthen links between service users, the substance misuse service, prison and wider healthcare services.
  • Support a recovery-focused environment where people feel encouraged and empowered to make positive changes.
  • Work flexibly, including some evening and weekend shifts on a rota basis.
  • Be willing to undertake some cross-deployment at HMP Brixton.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who:

  • Has experience of working in substance misuse, recovery, health and wellbeing, peer support or a related area.
  • Is passionate about supporting people to achieve positive change and sustain recovery.
  • Understands the value of lived experience and peer-led approaches.
  • Can build positive, professional and trusting relationships with service users.
  • Has strong communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Is confident supporting, motivating and encouraging others.
  • Has experience of providing one-to-one or group-based support.
  • Can recruit, train, motivate and supervise peer supporters or volunteers.
  • Understands the importance of trauma-informed and recovery-orientated practice.
  • Can work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Is able to build positive relationships with healthcare professionals, prison staff and external partners.
  • Has good organisational skills and can manage competing priorities.
  • Can maintain appropriate professional boundaries and work within confidentiality and safeguarding requirements.
  • Is resilient, adaptable and able to work effectively in a challenging environment.
  • Is committed to equality, diversity and treating people with dignity and respect.
  • Is willing to work flexibly across the service, including occasional evenings and weekends.
  • Is willing to support the service through cross-deployment at HMP Brixton.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in developing peer-led recovery support within a prison setting.

You will have the opportunity to:

  • Make a meaningful difference to people affected by substance misuse.
  • Develop and lead innovative peer support initiatives.
  • Use lived experience to help create positive change, where appropriate.
  • Work alongside healthcare and prison professionals as part of an integrated team.
  • Support people to build confidence, improve their wellbeing and engage with recovery.
  • Contribute to the continued development of peer support across the prison.

If you are passionate about recovery, believe in the power of peer support and want to make a real difference to people’s lives, we would love to hear from you.

All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits – 

  •  Flexible working
  • Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks’ continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you’d like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@forwardtrust.org.uk 
  • Training and development opportunities
    • Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
    • Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
    • Cycle to work scheme
    • Crisis Loan Scheme
    • Electric Car Scheme
    • 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata’d for part time employees)
    • Access to Blue Light Card
    • 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 
    • Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 
    • Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 
    • Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
    Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
    Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.
     
    Diversity at Forward Trust
    The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around 3 years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

    When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

    To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.  

    We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.
     
    Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
    Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

    If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

    Our Commitment to Safeguarding
    We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.

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